Sister and brother golfers stay consistent at Delray Municipal

December 17, 2008|By JASON STROMBERG Sports Editor

Sumner Young, 11, and her brother Skylar, 8, know what it's like to be consistent. The sister-brother duo have been consistently dominating golfers, some six decades older, at the Delray Beach Municipal Golf Course, located at 2200 Highland Ave.

"Can You Out Shoot a Sixth Grader?" was part of the 21st annual City of Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament Dec. 5. Nancy Stewart, director of special events for the Chamber of Commerce, help set up the event that takes place on hole 3, a par-3 137-yard shot from the blue tees, and a 120-yard shot from the red tees for Sumner.

You want to talk about pressure on the golf course. Stewart explains. "Imagine you're standing on the tee box," Stewart said. "A packed gallery of three of your golfing buddies, standing silently, watching, and waiting for that one moment when they can fall on the ground laughing because you have just been outshot by an 11-year-old, pony-tailed girl named Sumner Young," Stewart said.

Sumner faced 144 golfers and only four had tee shots closer to the hole. Sumner was ranked No. 2 in the U.S. Kids West Palm Beach 2008 Summer Tour. She shot a 90 at Park Ridge Golf Course and a 69 at the Town of Palm Beach Golf Course.

Yet Sumner Young has only been playing golf for a year and 10 months. "I like golf because it's challenging. I really like a challenge," said the sixth-grader at Western Park Middle School in West Palm Beach.

Skylar also started playing golf at the same time and shot a 42 from the ladies' tees at Palm Beach Golf Course and hits his Jack Nicklaus Airmax 9-degree driver over 100 yards.

"I like golf because it's a lot of fun! I can be outside and play," Skylar said.

Holiday baseball at Bucky Dent's

The Bucky Dent Baseball School is opening its winter season Dec. 22 and will be open for two weeks during the holidays. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel is a guest instructor in camp the week of Dec. 22, and Bucky Dent will be in camp both weeks during the holidays.

A special hitting camp will take place the week of Dec. 22, with Bucky's Infield Special the week of Dec. 29 and rookie camp both weeks. All camps run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch for children will be provided, and the camp will be open Christmas Day from noon to 3 p.m. without lunchtime.

Cost is $275 per week. For more information, call the school at 561-265-0280, e-mail staff@dentbaseball.com or visit www.buckydentbaseballschool.com for up-to-date schedules on the St. Louis camp, extended day programs and training programs.

Delray ITC attracts top players

Organizers of the 2009 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships are looking forward to the upcoming event on the ATP calendar from Feb. 21 to March 1 at the Delray Beach Stadium and Tennis Center.

With the championships entering their 17th year overall and 11th in Delray Beach, organizers are looking to surpass their best-ever attendance, which includes record-setting championship weekend crowds last year when world-ranked player James Blake and the No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan played to a full stadium.

The Bryans, who train at Saddlebrook Academy with Mardy Fish, will return to the 2009 Delray Beach ITC. Ticket packages are available on the official tournament Web site at www.yellowtennisball.com or by calling 561-330-6000.

The Championship Series package includes all 13 sessions for $280, while the Weekender includes the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals for $230 - five sessions in all. Box seat packages are also on sale, priced at about $1,800 to $2,400 for four courtside seats for all sessions, premier parking and invitations to the exclusive annual Box Holders Party.